156 Fun Facts About Tim Burton

In which California city was Tim Burton born and raised?

Tim Burton was born in Burbank on August 25, 1958, and grew up there; he has said its bland suburban streets shaped the pastel neighborhood of Edward Scissorhands.

What kind of business did Burton's mother later own?

Burton's mother Jean ran a cat-themed gift shop in Burbank called Cats Plus, an oddball detail he has cited when describing his suburban upbringing.

Which student short film got Burton noticed by Walt Disney Productions?

Stalk of the Celery Monster, a 1979 animated short Burton made at CalArts, caught Disney's eye and earned him an apprenticeship in the studio's animation division.

At which art school did Burton study before joining Disney?

Burton entered CalArts in Valencia in 1976 on a Disney-funded fellowship, studying in its character animation program until Disney hired him as an apprentice animator.

Which of these Disney films did Burton work on as an animator or concept artist?

Burton's first Disney assignment was inbetween animation on The Fox and the Hound (1981), drawing cute foxes he later called a poor creative fit; he also did concept art for The Black Cauldron.

Who plays Will Bloom, the skeptical son, in Big Fish?

Billy Crudup plays journalist Will Bloom, who tries to sort fact from tall tale in his dying father Edward's stories; Marion Cotillard plays his wife Joséphine.

How old is the boy Vincent Malloy in the 1982 short Vincent?

The story is told in rhyming verse and ends with the boy quoting Poe's 'The Raven'.

Why did Disney fire Burton after he finished the 1984 short Frankenweenie?

Disney would later fund a feature-length remake of the same story in 2012, released under its own Walt Disney Pictures banner.

Burton's Hansel and Gretel for the Disney Channel climaxes with what unusual scene?

Burton's Japanese-themed Hansel and Gretel ends with the children in a kung fu fight against the witch; the Disney Channel aired it once in 1983 and it vanished for decades.

Burton's oldest known childhood film, The Island of Doctor Agor, adapts which author?

The Island of Doctor Agor, a silent 8mm backyard short from Burton's early teens, riffs on H. G. Wells's 1896 novel The Island of Doctor Moreau.

In what year was Burton's feature-film directorial debut released?

Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Burton's first feature, opened in August 1985 and grossed over $40 million in North America on a modest budget.

What has been stolen from Pee-wee, setting off his big adventure?

A phony psychic sends him to the Alamo to look for it. Elfman's cue 'Stolen Bike' nods to Bernard Herrmann's Psycho score.

Which band was Burton's longtime composer fronting when hired to score Pee-wee's Big Adventure?

It was Elfman's first film score. He has since scored more than 100 films.

How many times must you say Betelgeuse's name to summon him?

Saying 'Betelgeuse' three times summons him, and three more times sends him back; caseworker Juno warns the Maitlands not to try it at all.

Who played the goth teenager Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice?

Teenage Winona Ryder played goth daughter Lydia Deetz, the one living person who can see the ghostly Maitlands; she reunited with Burton two years later on Edward Scissorhands.

Which two actors play the recently deceased Maitlands in Beetlejuice?

Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis play Adam and Barbara Maitland, who drown when their car plunges off a covered bridge; neither returned for the 2024 sequel.

Which Harry Belafonte calypso recording takes over the possessed dinner-party dance in Beetlejuice?

'Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)' soundtracks the dinner party, and Belafonte's 'Jump in the Line' closes the film; Danny Elfman even sings a 'Day-O' call in the first bars of the main title.

How long must the Maitlands remain in their house before they can 'move on'?

Adam and Barbara Maitland learn they are bound to the house for 125 years, with only three months of it gone when they first visit their caseworker Juno.

What was Beetlejuice's production budget?

Beetlejuice cost about $15 million, only around $1 million of it spent on visual effects; it finished as the 10th-highest-grossing film of 1988 in North America.

Roughly how many protest letters did Warner Bros. receive over Michael Keaton being cast as Batman?

Roughly 50,000 letters protesting Michael Keaton's casting reached Warner Bros., since he was known for comedies like Mr. Mom; the film's success silenced the doubters.

Which Academy Award did Burton's 1989 Batman win?

Batman's single Oscar was Best Art Direction, shared by production designer Anton Furst and set decorator Peter Young for their brooding, towering Gotham City.

Which film took Batman's record as the highest-grossing superhero movie?

Spider-Man (2002) finally passed Batman as the highest-grossing superhero film, ending a 13-year reign; Batman Forever and X-Men had both fallen short of the 1989 film.

Which comics figure served as a consultant on the 1989 Batman?

Batman co-creator Bob Kane was credited as a consultant on the 1989 film; the newspaper sketch of a bat-creature shown to reporter Knox is signed with Kane's name.

Why did Burton cast Michael Gough as Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred?

Gough played Alfred in all four films of that series and Burton later coaxed him out of retirement for Sleepy Hollow.

Edward Scissorhands was the first collaboration between Burton and which actor?

They would make eight films together. Burton conceived the story from his own suburban Burbank childhood.

Where was Edward Scissorhands filmed?

Burton shot the film in the Tampa Bay area of Florida in 1990, repainting the houses of a real suburban subdivision north of Tampa in pastels to create Edward's neighborhood.

Who wrote the screenplay for Edward Scissorhands from a Burton drawing?

Caroline Thompson wrote the screenplay from Burton's drawing of a scissor-handed boy; he had sought her out after admiring her debut novel First Born.

Which horror icon played the Inventor, Edward's creator, in Edward Scissorhands?

Vincent Price played the Inventor, the dying creator who leaves Edward unfinished, in his final live-action feature; Burton had paid tribute to him in the 1982 short Vincent.

Who actually directed The Nightmare Before Christmas?

Henry Selick directed The Nightmare Before Christmas over three years at Skellington Productions in San Francisco, while Burton, busy with Batman Returns, produced it and supplied the story and designs.

Who provided Jack Skellington's singing voice?

Chris Sarandon spoke Jack's lines. Elfman also voiced Barrel and the Clown with the Tear-Away Face.

Under which label did Disney first release The Nightmare Before Christmas?

Disney released the 1993 film under its Touchstone Pictures banner, judging it too dark for the main Disney label; later re-releases rebranded it as a Walt Disney Pictures title.

Which frequent Burton actress voiced Sally in The Nightmare Before Christmas?

Catherine O'Hara, Delia Deetz in Beetlejuice and again in 2024, voiced the rag doll Sally; she also voiced Shock, one of Oogie Boogie's three trick-or-treaters.

Which studio put Ed Wood into turnaround because Burton insisted on black-and-white?

Columbia Pictures put Ed Wood into turnaround when Burton refused to shoot in color; Disney's Touchstone banner picked it up, and the film lost money but won two Oscars.

Martin Landau won an Oscar for playing which real person in Ed Wood?

Martin Landau won Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Bela Lugosi, the aging, morphine-addicted Dracula star whom Wood befriends and casts in his final years.

Who scored Ed Wood, the one film of Burton's early run not handled by his usual composer?

Howard Shore scored Ed Wood after Burton and Danny Elfman fell out during The Nightmare Before Christmas; the two reconciled in time for Mars Attacks! (1996).

Mars Attacks! was based on what?

Screenwriter Jonathan Gems pitched combining it with Topps' Dinosaurs Attack! set.

Jack Nicholson plays two roles in Mars Attacks!, the President and whom?

He jokingly asked to play all the roles. Art Land runs the Galaxy Casino.

Who plays the Hessian Horseman in Sleepy Hollow?

Christopher Walken plays the fanged Hessian Horseman, seen alive in flashback and then as the headless rider; stuntman Ray Park doubled the headless body in the riding scenes.

Sleepy Hollow adapts an 1820 story by which writer?

Washington Irving's 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' appeared in his 1820 collection The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.; the film turns his comic tale into a gothic murder mystery.

Big Fish was shot almost entirely in which US state?

Big Fish was shot in Alabama, around Montgomery and Wetumpka, with the town of Spectre built on a river island there; only a brief Paris sequence was filmed elsewhere.

Who plays the elderly Edward Bloom in Big Fish?

Albert Finney plays the dying, tale-spinning Edward Bloom, with Jessica Lange as his wife Sandra; Danny Elfman's score earned an Academy Award nomination.

Which was the first stop-motion feature Burton directed himself?

Corpse Bride (2005), co-directed with Mike Johnson, was the first stop-motion feature Burton directed himself; on The Nightmare Before Christmas he had been producer and story originator, not director.

Who plays Charlie's bedridden Grandpa Joe in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)?

Irish actor David Kelly, best known as the hapless builder O'Reilly in Fawlty Towers, plays Grandpa Joe, who leaves his bed to join Charlie on the factory tour.

How were the Oompa-Loompas created for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?

Roy had worked with Burton on Planet of the Apes and Big Fish. The film grossed $475.8 million worldwide.

Which actor plays Willy Wonka's disapproving dentist father in the 2005 film?

Christopher Lee plays Dr. Wilbur Wonka, a dentist who banned candy, a backstory invented for the film; Lee appeared in five Burton films, from Sleepy Hollow to Dark Shadows.

Where did Burton first see Sondheim's stage musical Sweeney Todd?

That was in 1980. His film won the Golden Globe for Best Musical or Comedy and the Oscar for Art Direction.

Which major award did the star of Sweeney Todd win for playing the demon barber?

Johnny Depp won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for Sweeney Todd; he was also Oscar-nominated but lost to Daniel Day-Lewis.

Which Burton film grossed more than $1 billion worldwide?

Alice in Wonderland (2010) grossed about $1.025 billion worldwide, the first Burton film to pass the billion-dollar mark.

Frankenweenie (2012) is about a boy who resurrects what?

Victor Frankenstein brings back his bull terrier Sparky. It was Burton's remake of his own 1984 live-action short.

Big Eyes (2014) tells the story of which artist?

Amy Adams plays Margaret Keane, painter of the saucer-eyed waifs her husband Walter claimed as his own until a 1986 courtroom paint-off exposed him.

Which author wrote Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children?

Ransom Riggs built his 2011 debut novel around eerie found vintage photographs; Burton signed on that year and released the film adaptation in 2016.

Burton co-produced Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter with which director?

Timur Bekmambetov, the Kazakh-born director of Wanted, directed Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and co-produced it with Burton; the two had earlier teamed as producers on the animated film 9.

Who plays the ringmaster Max Medici in Burton's Dumbo?

Danny DeVito plays Max Medici, owner of the struggling Medici Brothers' Circus, in his fourth Burton film after Batman Returns, Mars Attacks! and Big Fish.

How many of the eight first-season episodes of Wednesday did Burton direct?

Burton directed the first four of season one's eight episodes, his first real foray into series television; other directors handled the back half.

Which former Wednesday Addams appears in Burton's series as botany teacher Marilyn Thornhill?

She had played Wednesday in the 1991 film and its 1993 sequel. Burton asked her personally.

Who plays Lydia's daughter Astrid in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice?

Jenna Ortega, fresh from playing Wednesday for Burton, is Astrid Deetz, Lydia's skeptical teenage daughter who refuses to believe in ghosts.

Which film festival did Beetlejuice Beetlejuice open in 2024?

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice opened the 81st Venice Film Festival on August 28, 2024, playing out of competition, before its US release on September 6.

Whose production company Plan B co-produced Beetlejuice Beetlejuice?

Brad Pitt's Plan B Entertainment co-produced the 2024 sequel, with Plan B's Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner among the credited producers alongside Burton.

Which museum hosted a Burton retrospective of over 700 works from 2009 to 2010?

The show later travelled, including to LACMA in 2011. His unreleased Hansel and Gretel finally screened there.

What is the title of Burton's 1997 illustrated poetry book?

The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories collects 23 of Burton's rhyming tales and drawings about misfit children, among them Stain Boy and Robot Boy.

Which German-born artist was Tim Burton's only wife?

Burton's only marriage was to German-born artist Lena Gieseke; it ended in divorce in 1991, and he later spent over a decade with Helena Bonham Carter, mother of his two children.

Which of Burton's partners appeared as Vampira in Ed Wood and a Martian girl in Mars Attacks!?

Lisa Marie, Burton's partner through the 1990s, played Vampira in Ed Wood and the gum-chewing Martian girl in Mars Attacks!, and also appeared in Sleepy Hollow and Planet of the Apes.

Which 1985 anthology revival did Burton direct an episode of?

Burton directed 'The Jar', a 1986 episode of the Alfred Hitchcock Presents revival adapted from a Ray Bradbury story; it was his only work for the series.

Which TV theme did Burton's regular composer write?

Danny Elfman composed The Simpsons' main title theme in 1989, famously writing it in a couple of days after Matt Groening pitched him a retro-cartoon sound.

Who did costumes for every live-action Burton film from Ed Wood to Dumbo, except Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?

Colleen Atwood's run with Burton began on Edward Scissorhands and continued through Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Sweeney Todd, Alice in Wonderland and Dumbo; she returned for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

What lifetime achievement honour did the Venice Film Festival give Burton in 2007?

Venice gave Burton its Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in 2007, the year Sweeney Todd came out; the Silver Bear and Palme d'Or belong to Berlin and Cannes.

What had Burton's father Bill been before working for Burbank Parks and Recreation?

Bill Burton had been a minor league baseball player before settling into a job with the Burbank Parks and Recreation Department.

How old was Burton when he made The Island of Doctor Agor?

The backyard adaptation of H. G. Wells was shot on 8 mm film without sound.

Which stop-motion pioneer did Burton credit with sparking his interest in the technique?

Burton has credited Ray Harryhausen's creature animation in films like Jason and the Argonauts with sparking his love of stop-motion, alongside Universal monsters, Hammer horror and Godzilla movies.

Besides Stalk of the Celery Monster, which short did Burton make as a CalArts student?

King and Octopus was one of Burton's CalArts student shorts, made in the character animation program he attended on the Valencia campus in the late 1970s.

Which Disney sci-fi film did Burton contribute concept art to during his early-1980s stint?

His concept art for The Fox and the Hound, Tron and The Black Cauldron never made it into the finished films.

Who produced Burton's 1982 short Vincent?

The two had met in Disney's concept art department; Heinrichs later production-designed Dark Shadows.

Alongside which teen drama did Vincent screen for two weeks in one Los Angeles cinema?

Vincent played for two weeks in one Los Angeles theatre alongside Disney's Matt Dillon teen drama Tex (1982), and also screened at the Chicago Film Festival.

On which night in 1983 did Burton's Hansel and Gretel air once on the Disney Channel before being shelved?

Burton's Japanese-themed Hansel and Gretel aired once, on Halloween night 1983, then vanished so completely that rumours said it never existed until MoMA screened it in 2009.

Which actress starred in the 1984 short Frankenweenie and later had Burton direct her Faerie Tale Theatre?

Shelley Duvall played Victor's mother in the 1984 Frankenweenie and later brought Burton in to direct the 'Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp' episode of her series Faerie Tale Theatre.

What breed of dog is Sparky in Frankenweenie?

Sparky is a bull terrier in both the 1984 live-action short and the 2012 stop-motion remake, which sets Victor's story in the town of New Holland.

Who chose Burton to direct Pee-wee's Big Adventure after seeing Frankenweenie?

Reubens said on the DVD commentary that he was sold on Burton's style as soon as the short began.

Besides Ed Wood and Sweeney Todd, which Burton film did Danny Elfman not score?

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016) was scored by Mike Higham and Matthew Margeson; Elfman scored every other Burton feature from Pee-wee's Big Adventure to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, apart from Ed Wood and Sweeney Todd.

Burton designed characters for the 1987 Family Dog episode of which Spielberg anthology?

Family Dog aired in 1987 as an animated episode of Steven Spielberg's NBC anthology Amazing Stories, with Burton's character designs; a spin-off series ran one season on CBS in 1993.

Which future Incredibles director wrote and directed the Family Dog episode Burton worked on?

The dog's design recalled Sparky from Frankenweenie.

Which Academy Award did Beetlejuice win?

Beetlejuice won the Oscar for Best Makeup, credited to Ve Neill, Steve LaPorte and Robert Short, for its rotting ghouls and Keaton's mouldering Betelgeuse.

On which two networks did the animated Beetlejuice TV series air between 1989 and 1991?

The Beetlejuice cartoon ran on ABC's Saturday mornings from 1989 and in 1991 also joined Fox's weekday lineup, one of the first cartoons airing concurrently on two US networks.

At which Broadway theatre did the Beetlejuice musical open in April 2019?

Beetlejuice opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on April 25, 2019; after the pandemic shutdown it reopened at the Marquis in 2022 and closed in January 2023.

Who originated Beetlejuice in the stage musical's 2018 tryout and on Broadway?

Alex Brightman originated Beetlejuice in the 2018 Washington, D.C. tryout and on Broadway in 2019, earning a Tony nomination; Sophia Anne Caruso was his Lydia.

Which two producers did Burton repeatedly clash with while making Batman?

Producers Jon Peters and Peter Guber, then Hollywood's hottest producing duo, clashed with Burton over rewrites and tone throughout the Pinewood shoot.

Which actor did Burton himself want as the Joker before Nicholson was cast?

Burton's own pick for the Joker was Brad Dourif, but the producers pushed for the bankable Jack Nicholson, whose casting calmed fans and drew older audiences.

Which graphic novel did Burton call the first comic he ever loved and a key influence on his 1989 film?

Burton called Alan Moore and Brian Bolland's The Killing Joke (1988) the first comic he ever loved, saying he never knew which panel to read next in other comics.

Who wrote the songs for the 1989 Batman?

The producers had wanted Prince for the Joker's music and Michael Jackson for the romance songs.

Roughly how much did Batman gross worldwide in 1989?

Batman took about $411 million worldwide in 1989, roughly $400 million, making it the year's top-grossing film in North America behind a then-record marketing push.

Who plays Peg Boggs, the Avon lady who takes Edward in?

Dianne Wiest plays Peg Boggs, the Avon saleswoman who finds Edward alone in the hilltop mansion and brings him home to her pastel suburb.

Which TV series made Johnny Depp a teen idol before Burton cast him as Edward?

21 Jump Street made Depp a teen idol; Edward Scissorhands began a Burton partnership spanning eight films.

What condition did Burton set for directing Batman Returns?

Burton agreed to return only with total creative control over Batman Returns; the darker, stranger result led Warner Bros. to hand the third film to Joel Schumacher.

Which character in Batman Returns was an original creation for the film?

Christopher Walken played the corrupt tycoon named after the Nosferatu actor.

Which band did Burton insist record the single for the Batman Returns soundtrack?

Siouxsie and the Banshees recorded 'Face to Face', co-written with Danny Elfman, for Batman Returns; Burton, a fan of the band, wanted them for the film's single.

During which holiday is Batman Returns set?

It is often cited as an alternative Christmas film for its winter imagery and themes of loneliness.

How much did Batman Returns gross worldwide?

Batman Returns grossed about $282.8 million worldwide, a hit but well short of the 1989 film's take, which helped push Warner Bros. toward a lighter third film.

What did Disney want Jack Skellington to have that the final design lacked?

Disney wanted Jack Skellington to have eyes, but Burton kept the empty black sockets; more than 100 people worked on the characters over three years of production.

How much did The Nightmare Before Christmas gross in its original release?

The Nightmare Before Christmas took about $50 million in North America in its 1993 release, a modest hit that re-releases and merchandise later turned into a perennial.

Which 1996 Roald Dahl adaptation did Burton co-produce with director Henry Selick?

James and the Giant Peach (1996) paired live action with stop-motion from Selick's team; Randy Newman's songs earned an Oscar nomination though the film disappointed at the box office.

Which comedian starred in Cabin Boy, the 1994 film Burton produced but handed to Adam Resnick?

Chris Elliott, whom Burton had admired on the sitcom Get a Life, starred in Cabin Boy; Burton handed directing to Adam Resnick when Ed Wood's schedule took priority.

Besides Martin Landau's acting award, which Oscar did Ed Wood win?

Ed Wood's second Oscar was Best Makeup, for Rick Baker, Ve Neill and Yolanda Toussieng's work turning Martin Landau into Bela Lugosi; the film flopped before becoming a cult classic.

Which infamous film's 1957 premiere closes Ed Wood?

Ed Wood ends at the premiere of Plan 9 from Outer Space, built around test footage of the late Bela Lugosi; Ed beams, 'This is the one I'll be remembered for.'

Which actor was cast as Batman in Batman Forever after Keaton resigned?

Val Kilmer took over as Batman in Batman Forever (1995) after Keaton walked away from Schumacher's lighter take; Burton kept a producer credit with little real say.

Which blockbuster, released five months earlier, did Mars Attacks! inadvertently spoof?

Independence Day had opened in July 1996, five months before Mars Attacks!, so Burton's 1950s-style alien-invasion spoof landed as an accidental parody of the blockbuster.

What is Ichabod Crane's profession in Burton's Sleepy Hollow?

Burton's Ichabod Crane is a New York City police constable, a detective who applies forensic science to the beheadings, rather than Irving's timid schoolteacher.

Who plays Lady Van Tassel, the villain of Burton's Sleepy Hollow?

Miranda Richardson plays Lady Van Tassel, Katrina's stepmother, revealed to be controlling the Headless Horseman with his stolen skull to seize the Van Garrett fortune.

How much did Sleepy Hollow gross worldwide?

Sleepy Hollow grossed about $207 million worldwide on a $100 million budget and won the Oscar for Best Art Direction.

Who starred as the astronaut lead in Burton's 2001 version of Planet of the Apes?

Mark Wahlberg led a cast with Tim Roth and Helena Bonham Carter; Burton insisted it was 'not a remake', and Rick Baker's makeup was praised despite mixed reviews.

In the twist ending of Planet of the Apes (2001), the Lincoln Memorial now honours whom?

Leo returns to Earth to find the Lincoln Memorial is now a monument to General Thade, the chimpanzee villain played by Tim Roth; the ending was widely mocked.

How much did Planet of the Apes (2001) gross worldwide?

Planet of the Apes (2001) grossed about $362 million worldwide after a $68 million opening weekend, on a budget of around $100 million.

Who wrote the novel Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions?

Daniel Wallace's novel became a film that earned four Golden Globe nominations and an Oscar nod for Elfman's score.

Who plays the young Edward Bloom in Big Fish?

Ewan McGregor plays the young Edward Bloom of the tall-tale flashbacks, courting Alison Lohman's Sandra and befriending Matthew McGrory's giant Karl.

Which two roles does Helena Bonham Carter play in Big Fish?

Helena Bonham Carter plays both Jenny, the girl who grows up in Spectre, and the one-eyed Witch whose glass eye shows how people will die; it was her second Burton film after Planet of the Apes.

How much did Charlie and the Chocolate Factory gross worldwide?

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory grossed about $475.8 million worldwide in 2005 and was nominated for the Best Costume Design Oscar.

Which characters do Depp and Bonham Carter voice in Corpse Bride?

Johnny Depp voices nervous groom Victor Van Dort and Helena Bonham Carter the Corpse Bride, Emily; the film was made simultaneously with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

For which American indie rock band did Tim Burton direct his first music video, 'Bones', in 2006?

'Bones' was the second single from The Killers' album Sam's Town; Burton directed a second Killers video, 'Here with Me', starring Winona Ryder, in 2012.

Which award did Burton win from the National Board of Review for Sweeney Todd?

The National Board of Review named Burton Best Director of 2007 for Sweeney Todd; the film also won the Oscar for Best Art Direction.

Who plays Mrs. Lovett, who bakes Sweeney Todd's victims into pies?

Helena Bonham Carter plays Mrs. Lovett, the pie-shop owner who turns Todd's victims into meat pies; Angela Lansbury had originated the role on Broadway in 1979.

Which animator's Oscar-nominated 2005 short did Burton help expand into the feature 9?

Shane Acker's Oscar-nominated 2005 student short 9 became a 2009 feature under Burton's production banner, voiced by Elijah Wood and Jennifer Connelly.

Who plays the 19-year-old Alice in Burton's 2010 Alice in Wonderland?

Mia Wasikowska plays Alice Kingsleigh, who flees a marriage proposal down the rabbit hole into Underland and ends up slaying the Jabberwocky with the Vorpal Sword.

Which comedian played both Tweedledee and Tweedledum in Alice in Wonderland?

Matt Lucas played both Tweedledee and Tweedledum, his head composited onto two CG bodies; Stephen Fry voiced the Cheshire Cat and Michael Sheen the White Rabbit.

Who directed Alice Through the Looking Glass, which Burton produced?

James Bobin, director of The Muppets (2011), took over for the 2016 sequel Alice Through the Looking Glass, which reportedly lost Disney around $70 million.

What was the budget of Dark Shadows, which grossed $245M worldwide?

Dark Shadows cost about $150 million and grossed $245 million worldwide, a disappointment; it reunited Burton with Batman Returns star Michelle Pfeiffer as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard.

In Dark Shadows, Barnabas Collins is cursed by which witch?

The Collins family founded Collinsport, Maine, after emigrating from Liverpool in 1760.

Who wrote both the novel and screenplay of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter?

Seth Grahame-Smith adapted his own 2010 mash-up novel for the screen; he also wrote Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and scripted Dark Shadows for Burton.

Who played Abraham Lincoln in the Burton-produced Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter?

Benjamin Walker, then known for Broadway's Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, played the axe-wielding Lincoln; Mary Elizabeth Winstead was his Mary Todd.

Which screenwriting duo behind Ed Wood also wrote Big Eyes?

Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, who wrote Ed Wood and The People vs. Larry Flynt, wrote and produced Big Eyes; filming began in Vancouver in mid-2013.

Who played the fraudulent husband Walter Keane in Big Eyes?

Christoph Waltz plays Walter Keane, the huckster who passed off his wife's waif paintings as his own; Amy Adams won a Golden Globe as Margaret.

Which singer earned a Golden Globe nomination for the title song of Burton's 2014 film Big Eyes?

Lana Del Rey's 'Big Eyes' was nominated; The Weinstein Company released the film on Christmas Day 2014.

Which actress plays Miss Peregrine in Burton's 2016 film?

Eva Green plays Miss Alma Peregrine, the pipe-smoking ymbryne who turns into a peregrine falcon and guards the children's time loop; Asa Butterfield and Samuel L. Jackson co-starred.

What was the production budget of Burton's Dumbo?

Dumbo's production budget was about $170 million; with marketing its costs approached $300 million against a $353 million gross, so it lost money.

Which former Batman appears in Burton's Dumbo alongside Colin Farrell and Eva Green?

It was Keaton's first Burton film since Batman Returns.

After Dumbo, Burton said he would probably never again work with which studio?

He complained the studio had become 'very homogenized, very consolidated'.

Who created the Netflix series Wednesday, which Burton directs and produces?

Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, creators of Smallville, created Wednesday, placing the Addams daughter at Nevermore Academy, and serve as its showrunners.

Which actors play Wednesday's parents in the Netflix series?

Luis Guzmán plays Gomez and Catherine Zeta-Jones Morticia, with Isaac Ordonez as Pugsley and Fred Armisen as Uncle Fester.

For Wednesday, Burton earned an Emmy nomination in which category?

Burton was nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series at the 2023 Emmys for Wednesday's first season, his first television directing since the 1980s.

In which city did Beetlejuice Beetlejuice start shooting on May 10, 2023?

Shooting began in London on May 10, 2023, with Vermont locations following; a sequel had been mooted since the 1990 script Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian.

Roughly how much did Beetlejuice Beetlejuice gross worldwide?

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice grossed about $452 million worldwide in 2024 on a budget near $100 million, Burton's biggest hit since Alice in Wonderland.

Who plays Betelgeuse's soul-sucking ex-wife Delores in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice?

Monica Bellucci plays Delores, the soul-sucking ex-wife who staples herself back together to hunt Betelgeuse; Willem Dafoe plays actor-turned-afterlife-detective Wolf Jackson.

Which 1958 sci-fi film was Burton announced in 2025 to be remaking for Warner Bros.?

Burton was announced in 2025 as director of a new Attack of the 50 Foot Woman for Warner Bros., with Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn writing the script.

Which actor was signed to play Superman in Burton's unmade Superman Lives?

Nicolas Cage was signed as Superman for Superman Lives, even posing in the costume, before Warner Bros. shelved the project in 1998; Burton called it a wasted year.

What did Disney want to use for a Nightmare Before Christmas sequel that Burton talked them out of in 2002?

Burton said he was always protective of the film's purity.

Which Disney film was Burton briefly attached to direct in 2011 before choosing Dark Shadows?

Burton was attached to Disney's Maleficent in early 2011 but dropped out to make Dark Shadows and Frankenweenie; Robert Stromberg directed the 2014 film with Angelina Jolie.

Which festival's jury did Burton preside over in 2010?

Burton presided over the Cannes jury in 2010, which awarded the Palme d'Or to Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives.

Where did Burton meet the Italian actress he dated from 2022 to 2025?

The relationship became public in 2023 and ended in September 2025.

After MoMA, Burton's 2010 retrospective travelled directly to a museum in which city?

From MoMA the show went straight to ACMI in Melbourne in June 2010, adding Alice in Wonderland material; Toronto, Los Angeles, Paris, Seoul and Prague followed.

How many of Burton's works were shown at the Seoul Museum of Art exhibition in 2012–13?

The Seoul Museum of Art showed 862 of Burton's works from December 2012 to April 2013, arranged into Surviving Burbank, Beautifying Burbank and Beyond Burbank.

Which Las Vegas venue hosted Lost Vegas: Tim Burton in 2019?

Lost Vegas: Tim Burton ran at the Neon Museum from October 2019, mixing new large-scale installations with the museum's restored vintage signs; it was his first US show in nearly a decade.

What is the subtitle of Burton's 2015 book The Napkin Art of Tim Burton?

The Napkin Art of Tim Burton: Things You Think About in a Bar (2015) compiles sketches he made on napkins in bars and restaurants over the years.

Who edited the career-spanning interview book Burton on Burton?

Burton on Burton, edited by British film journalist Mark Salisbury and first published by Faber in 1995, collects interviews with the director; Johnny Depp wrote its foreword.

Who plays Otho, the Deetzes' pretentious interior designer, in Beetlejuice?

Glenn Shadix plays Otho, the pompous designer whose séance from the Handbook nearly destroys the Maitlands; Shadix later voiced the Mayor in The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Besides The Simpsons, which popular TV series theme is Burton's regular composer Danny Elfman known for?

Elfman wrote the Desperate Housewives theme as well as The Simpsons'; he has also scored every Men in Black and Fifty Shades film.

Which French honour did Tim Burton receive from culture minister Frédéric Mitterrand in March 2010?

The same year he served as president of the jury at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival.

Which child actor, also Bastian in The NeverEnding Story, starred in Burton's 1984 short Frankenweenie?

Barret Oliver, the same year's Bastian in The NeverEnding Story, played young Victor Frankenstein in the black-and-white short that got Burton fired from Disney.

Roughly how much did Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street gross worldwide?

Sweeney Todd grossed about $153 million worldwide on a $50 million budget and won the Academy Award for Best Art Direction.

A planned Burton 3D stop-motion adaptation of which property was scrapped on July 17, 2013?

Burton's 3D stop-motion Addams Family, developed with Illumination from 2010, was cancelled in July 2013; he returned to the clan a decade later with Netflix's Wednesday.